“These four parties asked me to ensure a facilitator mission to revive the dynamics and give Brussels residents a project to which they are entitled,” he said.
“Many initiatives have taken place in the past 14 months to try to form a government in Brussels. Just before the parliamentary holidays, creative proposals have still been put forward. It is however to recognize that, whatever the reasons, these different approaches have not been able to achieve so far. However, the urgency is there, ”recalled Mr. Verougstraete.
The guest PTB, not the Vlaams Belang
On the ground, “fairly short” bilaterals will be carried out on August 18, 19 and 20 “with all democratic parties”. Only the Vlaams Belang will be excluded, explained the president of the committed. “The idea is then to pass the hand to a trainer to reach the formation of an executive for September 15,” he added.
The objective is to bring together “as many parties ready to discuss a positive project together, taking into account the dynamic spirit of Brussels forces”. A balanced framework note will be taken from these meetings, which will also identify “those who are ready to start negotiations on this basis”.
“The objective is to reverse the order of priorities by defining, above all, an ambitious project around which it will be possible to bring together a sufficient majority,” continued the facilitator.
The latter will have to try to bring the positions closer to concretize the announced coalition, which notably provides for a post of minister-president for the MR and an unchanged distribution of the portfolios on the Dutch and French-speaking side.
What if it still doesn’t work?
If, at first, it is not possible to bring this double majority together, the four parties say they are nevertheless ready to continue the substantive work. Contacts will also be maintained with the parties that are not around the table in order to maximize the chances of obtaining the balance point allowing to identify these majorities.
The parties seated at the negotiating table will define, when the hand should be taken over by a trainer, for him to install a government before the Back to the Brussels parliamentary, on September 15.
“It is no longer a question of testing majorities, but of building a positive dynamic. The end of the summer will be decisive. Fall must mark a new start to get Brussels out of inaction and put the region back to the service of its inhabitants, ”concluded Yvan Verougstraete.
